The Community Foundation of North Central Florida (CFNCF) and its cohort of philanthropists, the NextGen Changemakers, announced Thursday that $25,000 in grant funding will go to support three local nonprofit organizations.

The three nonprofits, with their award amounts, included the CHILD Center at SWAG ($15,000), GROW Hub ($5,000) and Southern Scholarship Foundation ($5,000).

The eight leaders graduated from the CFNCF’s third cohort in May 2025 after completing their six-month journey in the program. The leaders joined the alumni network of 24 emerging philanthropists who have completed the course since it started in 2022. 

​“The $25,000 in grants from this year’s NextGen Changemakers cohort will have a significant impact in addressing the priority areas the group chose as their focus: education, health and livability” said Lesley Banis, vice president of Community Engagement at CFNCF, in the press release.

The $15,000 donation to the Child Center at SWAG will support its endowment fund and will be matched dollar-for-dollar through their donor.

The Southern Scholarship’s $5,000 contribution will aid in providing housing for University of Florida students in Gainesville.

The GROW Hub’s $5,000 allocation will go to support their programs for local adults and students with varying abilities who age out of the school system at 22 and face limited opportunities for employment.

The NextGen Changemakers program, a CFNCF initiative, is designed to engage, educate and connect North Central Florida young leaders who take an active role in building thriving communities. The program was launched in 2022 and annually accepts applications from people interested in learning about strategic giving, grantmaking and philanthropy.

“At the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, we want to foster a community of thoughtful, strategic, and collaborative individuals to actively redefine what philanthropy means to this next generation,” said CFNCF President and CEO Barzella Papa in the press release.

Participants, as part of their journey in philanthropy, have the opportunity to grant $10,000 to area nonprofit(s) of their choosing. The graduating cohort worked together to identify their priority areas by using a guided exploration of community issues. Participants then presented their nonprofit to a panel of local philanthropists. This year, the panel matched and increased CFNCF’s $10,000 to $25,000 for the program.

For more information about the NextGen Changemakers program and the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, visit www.cfncf.org/nextgen.